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Thunderstorm warning in place across Greater Manchester today after heatwave

The Met Office says to expect "locally heavy rain and possible disruption".

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 15th August 2022

A yellow thunderstorm warning has been put in place across Greater Manchester and much of the UK for today following a four-day heatwave.

Nice weather doesn’t tend to stick around for very long in this country, does it?

After temperatures had been soaring nationwide over the last week, and a heat-health alert was even put in place by the UKHSA, the Met Office has now issued a yellow weather warning for thunderstorms and heavy rain across large parts of the UK – with Greater Manchester included.

The weather warning came into force today from 6am, and is set to last throughout the day.

According to forecasters at the Met Office, the weather warning spells “locally heavy rain and possible disruption”.

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Damage to buildings from floodwater, lightning strikes, hail or strong winds is also on the cards.

Should flooding or lightning strikes actually occur anywhere in the country, the Met Office has said there is a chance of delays and some cancellations to train and bus services, and spray and sudden flash flooding could lead to difficult driving conditions and even some road closures too.

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“Isolated but intense thunderstorms are possible on Monday,” explains Jason Kelly – Deputy Chief Meteorologist at the Met Office.

Read more: ‘Heat-health’ alert issued across UK as temperatures rise

“The warnings highlight the chance of some places seeing around 50mm of rain falling in a three-hour period in the north, with some areas further south possibly seeing around 30mm of rain in a three-hour period.

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A yellow thunderstorm warning has been put in place across Greater Manchester for today / Credit: Maria Page (via Instagram)

“Hail and frequent lightning are also possible as part of these downpours and represents an additional hazard.  

“We’re continuing to monitor how these thundery showers develop on Tuesday and Wednesday next week and there’s a chance of some quite intense downpours at times for some areas and we’re refining the likely location of these in the coming days.”

The yellow thunderstorm warning comes after England has had its driest July since 1935.

While some places, especially down South, will probably welcome the rain with open arms, the Met Office does warn that these forecasted “intense and thundery showers” are likely bring with them the disruption previously mentioned.

Featured Image – Johannes Plenio (via Pexels)

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Tailgaters and middle lane hoggers warned to change their ‘dangerous’ driving style

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

A warning has been issued to tailgaters and motorway middle lane hoggers urging them to change their ‘dangerous’ driving style.

Do you find yourself guilty of two of the biggest driving sins from time to time?

Well, according to the latest figures released by National Highways, one in three motorists have admitted to middle lane hogging in their lives, while one in four have committed acts of tailgating on some of the UK’s fastest roads.

These shocking survey findings – which were released back in early March as the Government-owned road management company launched a new campaign – showed that lane hogging was among the behaviours that are most likely to cause motorists and passengers to feel ‘frustrated’, and tailgating was most likely to cause feelings of unease, stress, and anxiety.

Nearly a third (32%) of drivers admitted to lane hogging ‘at least occasionally’ while driving on England’s motorways and major A roads, according to the survey – which polled 2,500 adults between the ages of 16-75.

On top of this, almost seven in ten adults in England (67%) said close following or tailgating is a ‘serious problem’ on these types of roads, but nearly a quarter (23%) admitted to doing it from time to time.

Tut-tut.

Tailgaters and middle lane hoggers have been warned to change their ‘dangerous’ driving style (Credit: IPTC/Ronald Hudson)

It’s these very statistics which have led National Highways to issue an urgent warning that calls on these motorists to “carefully consider” their driving habits, as “little changes can change everything”.

Lane hogging and tailgating both fall under the offence of ‘careless driving’ in England, with the country’s police forces having the power to hand out on-the-spot fines of £100 and three penalty points to those who commit such offences.

“Middle lane hogging and tailgating are far more than mere annoyances for drivers,” warned RAC road safety spokesperson, Rod Dennis, adding that these actions “put everyone on the roads at risk.”

He continued in his reaction to the release of the latest National Highways figures: “Closely following another motorist could easily result in a serious collision should the driver ahead need to brake sharply for any reason, so the fact nearly one in four drivers admitted to doing so on some of England’s fastest and busiest roads is frightening”.

Mr Dennis said he understands that offenders “might find these habits hard to kick”, but that’s why the urgent calls for motorists to make changes are “so important”.

“By understanding that how we choose to drive affects others, we can each make a real difference to the safety of our roads,” he concluded.

Read more:

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Featured Images – AA

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Paddy McGuinness admits he thinks Bolton is ‘still in Lancashire’ not Greater Manchester

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

Paddy McGuinness has admitted that he believes “Bolton still falls under Lancashire” and not Greater Manchester.

The famous comedian and TV presenter – who was born and raised in Farnworth in 1973, back when it genuinely was still categorised as Lancashire – made the somewhat controversial declaration to his millions of followers on Instagram this week as he shared some pictures of himself that are currently featuring as part of a photography exhibition.

McGuinness is one of dozens of local famous faces forming part of the ‘Greater Mancunians’ project by The Manchester College.

150 students have participated in the landmark photography project – which is currently on display down at Manchester Central Library’s Main Exhibition Hall – and it features images of some of Manchester’s most famous and influential people shot at numerous locations across the city.

Noel Gallagher, Johnny Marr, Ricky Hatton, Andy Burnham, Angela Rayner, Maxine Peake, Jonathan Warburton, and Professor Erinma Bell MBE are among the 100 contributors featured in the project, alongside McGuinness.

The 50-year-old, who is most well-known for his acting and presenting roles in Phoenix Nights, Max and Paddy’s Road To Nowhere, Take Me Out, and Top Gear, says it was “a real honour” to be featured in the exhibition.

McGuinness wrote on Instagram: “It was a real honour to take part in the Greater Mancunians project with the students at The Manchester College. The exhibition is full of people from music, comedy, politics, poetry, television, medicine and beyond.”

He then said it’s “well worth popping in if you’re in town”, before dropping the final Bolton-related bombshell: “PS, I’m still saying Bolton falls under Lancashire.”

In case you’re unfamiliar with the borough’s history, Bolton was considered to be a part of Lancashire until Greater Manchester was formally established all the way back on 1 April 1974 – but still to this day, the town is located within the historic county boundaries of Lancashire.

Paddy McGuinness admits he thinks Bolton is ‘still in Lancashire’, not Greater Manchester (Credit: Wikimedia Commons)

After making the bold claim about Bolton’s geographical location, McGuinness has been met with praise and has received hundreds of comments from other Bolton and wider Greater Manchester residents agreeing with him and sharing their similar opinions under the post.

“I think they should redefine Lancashire back to its old borders, it would bring unity to the area and create a northern powerhouse,” one person commented.

Another fan wrote: “Bolton will always be in Lancashire for me”, while a third commented: “ALWAYS Lancashire. Can’t move land boundaries, they’re not pieces of paper,” a fourth shared a similar sentiment: “They can tell us we’re Greater Manchester, but I know Im a Lancashire lass,” and a fifth added: “Lancashire all the way lad.”

“BOLTON WILL ALWAYS BE LANCASHIRE,” another clearly strong-viewed comment reads.

Read more:

It’s always very ‘Stockport is Cheshire‘, isn’t it?

What’s your take then? Do you think Bolton is still in Lancashire, or is it part of Greater Manchester? What about the rest of the boroughs?

We know full well we may have opened a can of worms with this one but that’s all part of the fun.

Featured Images – BBC

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